Sports news from Los Angeles and beyond

Doc Rivers plans to return as coach of Boston Celtics

June 30, 2010 | 12:55
pm

The NBA champions still might not know if their head coach will be back next year, but the runners-up are no longer in limbo.

Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said he will remain with the team he led to the NBA Finals two out of the last three seasons, telling the Boston Globe in a text message: "I want another crack at it with this group."

Rivers had said he might take some time off from coaching to spend more time with his Orlando-based family and watch his kids play sports.

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck declined to comment on the coach's decision on Wednesday afternoon but said in an e-mail to the Associated Press: "We are trying to build another contending team next year and hope Doc will be coaching it."

In other NBA news, the Mavericks' all-time leading scorer and rebounder Dirk Nowitzki is heading to Dallas to discuss a new contract. Nowitzki has decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent, with negotiations beginning around the league on at 9:01 p.m. PDT Wednesday.

Mavericks President Donnie Nelson said in a text message to the Associated Press that Nowitzki and adviser Holger Geschwindner were flying to Dallas and wanted to meet Thursday. Nelson called it a "really good sign."